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[Congressional Bills 118th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 9219 Introduced in House (IH)]

<DOC>

118th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 9219

To establish the Federal Commission on Weather Risk Data and Modeling, 
                        and for other purposes.

_______________________________________________________________________

                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             July 30, 2024

Mr. Miller of Ohio (for himself and Mr. Lucas) introduced the following 
   bill; which was referred to the Committee on Science, Space, and 
                               Technology

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL

 
To establish the Federal Commission on Weather Risk Data and Modeling, 
                        and for other purposes.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Weather Data Taxpayer Protection 
Act''.

SEC. 2. FEDERAL COMMISSION ON WEATHER RISK DATA AND MODELING.

    (a) Establishment.--Not later than 180 days after the date of the 
enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Commerce shall establish in the 
Department of Commerce a commission to be known as the ``Federal 
Commission on Weather Risk Data and Modeling'' (in this section 
referred to as the ``Commission'').
    (b) Duties.--The duties of the Commission are the following:
            (1) To establish data, metadata, and service standards and 
        specifications required for the validation of weather risk data 
        and models under subsection (c).
            (2) To identify the quality, reliability, usability, 
        timeliness, and accuracy of key data inputs and parameters 
        provided by the private sector and used in weather risk data 
        and models, including the following:
                    (A) Data related to frequency and severity of 
                natural hazards.
                    (B) Data related to natural hazards exposures, 
                vulnerability, adaptation, and mitigation in built 
                environments, including infrastructure, economic 
                activity, and human population.
                    (C) Data related to the relationship and scientific 
                connections between subparagraphs (A) and (B), 
                including types of natural hazards and the specific 
                damages such natural hazards cause.
            (3) To develop standardized methodologies and protocols for 
        the collection, validation, and analysis of such key private 
        sector data inputs and parameters utilized or purchased by 
        Federal departments and agencies.
            (4) To facilitate the sharing and dissemination of weather 
        risk data and models among the following:
                    (A) State, local, and Tribal governments.
                    (B) Federal departments and agencies.
                    (C) Appropriate representatives of the insurance 
                industry.
                    (D) Appropriate representatives of the banking 
                industry.
                    (E) Appropriate representatives of the weather 
                industry.
                    (F) Any other relevant stakeholders as determined 
                by the Commission.
            (5) To coordinate data collection, analysis, and modeling 
        activities for weather risk data and models with the following:
                    (A) The National Oceanic and Atmospheric 
                Administration.
                    (B) The National Institute of Standards and 
                Technology.
                    (C) The National Aeronautics and Space 
                Administration.
                    (D) The Department of Energy.
                    (E) The Environmental Protection Agency.
                    (F) The Office of Science and Technology Policy.
                    (G) Any other relevant Federal departments and 
                agencies as determined by the Commission.
            (6) To make recommendations to Federal departments and 
        agencies on improving the quality, accuracy, consistency, and 
        transparency of weather risk data models.
    (c) Weather Risk Data and Model Validation.--
            (1) In general.--The Commission shall implement validation 
        standards and specifications that ensure the accuracy and 
        reliability of weather risk data and models utilized or 
        purchased from the private sector by Federal departments and 
        agencies.
            (2) Criteria.--In carrying out this subsection, the 
        Commission shall engage with Federal departments and agencies, 
        and external partners and providers, to develop and test 
        validation standards and specifications in order to evaluate 
        all sources and types of weather risk data and models for use 
        by the Federal Government. Not later than one year after such 
        development of such standards and specifications, such 
        standards and specifications shall be used to evaluate current 
        federally used weather risk data and models.
            (3) Pilot contracts.--The Commission shall seek, through an 
        open competition, to enter into contracts with private sector 
        entities capable of providing weather risk data and models that 
        can be evaluated to satisfy the standards and specifications 
        implemented pursuant to paragraph (1). Not later than six 
        months after entering into any such contract, the Commission, 
        to the maximum extent practicable, shall seek to recommend 
        submission of an application under paragraph (4) after 
        determining if such data and models satisfy such standards and 
        specifications.
            (4) Applications.--Not later than one year after the date 
        of the enactment of this Act and on a continuous basis 
        thereafter, the Commission shall consider applications for 
        review of weather risk data and models for the purpose of 
        validating such model for use by Federal departments and 
        agencies. In order to have weather risk data or models reviewed 
        by the Commission, the owner of such data or model shall submit 
        to the Commission an application at such time, in such manner, 
        and containing such information as the Commission may require.
    (c) Membership.--
            (1) Number and appointment.--The Commission shall be co-
        chaired by the Administrator of the National Oceanic and 
        Atmospheric Administration and the Director of the National 
        Institute of Standards and Technology, and be composed of 
        members who are qualified to provide advice regarding weather 
        risk data and models, including, to the maximum extent 
        practicable, from the following entities:
                    (A) One representative of a State or local 
                government that has experience with responding to 
                natural hazards.
                    (B) One representative of a State regulatory entity 
                that utilizes or purchases weather risk data or models.
                    (C) One representative of the Federal Emergency 
                Management Agency.
                    (D) One representative of the United States Forest 
                Service who has experience with wildfire modeling.
                    (E) One representative of a Federal department or 
                agency that utilizes or purchases weather risk data or 
                models.
                    (F) One representative of an organization 
                representing rural communities that has experience with 
                community planning.
                    (G) One representative of an organization 
                representing urban communities that has experience with 
                community planning.
                    (H) One representative of the insurance industry 
                who has experience with weather risk data or modeling.
                    (I) One representative of the banking industry who 
                has experience with weather risk data or modeling.
                    (J) One representative of a non-governmental 
                organization that has experience with weather risk data 
                or modeling.
                    (K) One representative of the engineering industry 
                who has experience with structural engineering related 
                to natural hazards.
                    (L) One representative of an institution of higher 
                education that has experience with conducting research 
                on weather risk data or models.
                    (M) One representative of an institution of higher 
                education that has experience with using artificial 
                intelligence to improve weather risk data or modeling.
            (2) Term.--Each member of the Commission shall be appointed 
        for a term of four years, not to exceed a total of eight non-
        consecutive years, except that the term of six of the members 
        who are initially appointed to membership on the Commission 
        shall be two years. To the maximum extent practicable, the co-
        chairs of the Commission shall ensure staggered terms of 
        members to avoid complete turnovers of the Commission 
        membership.
            (3) Vacancies.--A vacancy in the Commission shall be filled 
        in the same manner in which the original appointment was made.
            (4) Basic pay.--
                    (A) In general.--Except as provided in subparagraph 
                (B), members of the Commission shall be paid at a rate 
                equal to the daily equivalent of the annual rate of 
                basic pay prescribed for level IV of the Executive 
                Schedule under section 5315 of title 5, United States 
                Code, for each day (including travel time) during which 
                such member is engaged in the actual performance of 
                duties vested in the Commission.
                    (B) Prohibition of compensation of federal 
                employees.--Members of the Commission who are full-time 
                officers or employees of the United States may not 
                receive additional pay, allowances, or benefits by 
                reason of their service on the Commission.
    (d) Staff of Commission.--
            (1) Personnel.--Upon request of the Commission, the 
        Administrator of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric 
        Administration and the Director of the National Institute of 
        Standards and Technology may assign any of the personnel of 
        their respective agencies to the Commission to assist the 
        Commission in carrying out the duties described in subsection 
        (b).
            (2) Other federal departments and agencies.--Upon request 
        of the Commission the head of any Federal department or agency 
        may detail, on a reimbursable basis, any of the personnel of 
        such department or agency to the Commission to assist the 
        Commission in carrying out the duties described in subsection 
        (b).
            (3) Experts and consultants.--The Commission may procure 
        temporary and intermittent services under section 3109(b) of 
        title 5, United States Code, at rates for individuals that do 
        not exceed the daily equivalent of the annual rate of basic pay 
        prescribed for level IV of the Executive Schedule under section 
        5315 of that title.
    (e) Report.--Not later than one year after the date of the 
establishment of the Commission, the Commission shall submit to the 
President and Congress a report that includes the following:
            (1) An analysis of the quality, reliability, usability, 
        timeliness, and accuracy of weather risk models and data.
            (2) An assessment of the extent to which Federal 
        departments and agencies utilize or purchase weather risk data 
        or models produced by the private sector.
            (3) A list of the key weather risk data and model inputs 
        and parameters that are needed to integrate long-term climate 
        models and short-term catastrophe models into weather risk data 
        and models.
    (f) Prohibition of Non-Approved Weather Risk Data and Models.--Not 
later than two years after the date of the enactment of this Act, 
notwithstanding any other provision of law, the head of each Federal 
department or agency shall ensure such department or agency, as the 
case may be, does not utilize or purchase any weather risk data or 
model that does not meet the validation standards and specifications 
implemented by the Commission pursuant to subsection (c)(1).
    (g) Definitions.--In this section:
            (1) Artificial intelligence.--The term ``artificial 
        intelligence'' has the meaning given such term in section 
        5002(3) of the National Artificial Intelligence Initiative Act 
        of 2020 (15 U.S.C. 9401(3); enacted as division E of the 
        William M. (Mac) Thornberry National Defense Authorization Act 
        for Fiscal Year 2021; Public Law 116-283).
            (2) Institution of higher education.--The term 
        ``institution of higher education'' has the meaning given such 
        term in section 101 of the Higher Education Act (20 U.S.C. 
        1001).
            (3) Natural hazards.--The term ``natural hazards'' means 
        extreme weather or water events and other natural phenomena, 
        including wildfire, drought, flooding, damaging winds, 
        tornadoes, and precipitation, that have a high risk of loss of 
        life or property.
                                 <all>
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